Monday, April 01, 2013

Italian White Bean, Sausage and Kale Soup

I made this soup a while ago and wasn't going to post it because I had no good pictures. Soup is one of the less exciting types of dishes to photograph after all. But, I loved how this turned out and didn't want to forget how I made it, so here we are.

The key thing that makes this hearty, stew-like soup so noteworthy is dried beans. The texture and richness they add to the cooking liquid just wouldn't be present if canned beans were used (I have nothing against canned beans! If using them means the difference between cooking and not cooking, then by all means.).

The other things that make the recipe for me are miso paste and sun dried tomatoes.A scoop of light miso is my absolute favorite trick for adding savory depth to hearty greens and slow cooked dishes. The sun dried tomatoes are just tossed in at the end, but they add so much flavor, both sweet and acidic, that they're easily a key ingredient.

I don't know about you, but it's cold and wintry in Chicago today, so writing about soup in April doesn't seem so out of place to me!

Italian White Bean,
Sausage and Kale Soup

This is a thick, satisfying soup with layers of Italian
flavor and the richness you get from simmering dried beans. I love using
light-colored miso to add depth to vegetable-heavy soups and braises like this
one. If you don’t want to use it, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, which
is also a good umami ingredient, instead. Note that miso adds salt to the soup,
while tomato paste is generally very low in sodium.

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or soup pot on
medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery and cook, stirring
occasionally, until softened, about 7 minutes. Stir in fennel, oregano, thyme
and red pepper flakes and continue cooking until lightly browned, about 5
minutes more. Push vegetables to the side and add garlic and miso. Cook,
stirring constantly and breaking up the miso, 2 minutes.

Add broth and 4 cups water, cover and bring to a boil. Add beans,
cover and simmer on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are bulked
up in size, but still slightly firm, about 1 1/2 hours. If liquid level gets
too low, add water as needed; conversely, simmer the soup uncovered if you want
some of the liquid to evaporate.

While beans simmer, cook the turkey sausages: Heat a medium
skillet on medium-high heat and coat with cooking spray. Squeeze the sausages
out of their casings into the skillet. Cook, crumbling meat with your spoon,
until cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate and lightly press
with another paper towel to drain.

To the soup, add the tomatoes and about half the kale and
cover just until wilted. Add remaining kale in this manner, as well as
additional water if needed (soup should be thick, but you should still be able
to stir it without too much muscle). Simmer until beans are tender, but not
falling apart, and kale is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes (tender or Tuscan kale
will cook faster). Reduce heat to low and stir in the turkey and sun-dried
tomatoes just until heated through. Season with salt and freshly ground black
pepper to taste. Shave cheese with a vegetable peeler over each bowl and serve
with lemon wedges.

Julie O'Hara Chicago, IL

Welcome! I'm a freelance recipe developer and writer for magazines like Shape, Clean Eating and National Geographic Traveler. View my work at julieoharawriter.com. I love your emails and comments--thanks for reading!